Power of Intercessory Prayer

Examples of the Power of Intercessory Prayer, What It Is, Why We Should Do It, Bible Verses, etc.

There are many examples of the great power of intercessory prayer in the Bible. We will continue to have examples until we join Jesus in our heavenly home.

Intercessory prayer is a reflection of God’s mercy and is an expression of His extraordinary love for us. It helps us grow spiritually, and it also gets our focus and thoughts off of ourselves.

What Exactly is Intercessory Prayer?

Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of other people.

Who is The Ultimate Intercessor?

The New Testament says that Jesus is the final intercessor:

For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25

By Jesus laying down His life on the cross for us, He became the bridge between us and God. Jesus is our advocate. Knowing that Jesus is constantly interceding for us is an incredible blessing!

Christian prayer is intercession because it is put forward to God through and by Jesus.

And we have the privilege of being able to intercede in prayer for other Christians and for those who haven’t yet accepted Jesus as their savior.

Why Should We Pray for Others?

All Christians are called to be intercessors – each of them have been filled with the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are commanded to intercede for one another.

The 23rd verse of 1 Samuel Chapter 12 says, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.”

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

We are to come to God on behalf of others with a humble and contrite heart, not thinking of ourselves and being fully aware that we are not worthy.

The only thing we do deserve is eternal separation from God. However, God chose to give us what we don’t deserve (grace).

Our desire should be to discover the will of God and see it come to pass, whether it is for our benefit or not and no matter how much it may cost us. Real intercessory prayer desires God’s glory instead of our own.

We should want the best for others – we should beg God fervently in persistent prayer for those who haven’t yet accepted Him as their Savior. May we always remember the power of intercessory prayer!

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Examples of Who We Should Pray For

Our friends (see Job 42:8)
Our enemies (see Jeremiah 29:7)
Jerusalem (see Psalm 122:6)
The sick (see James 5:14)
Fellow countrymen (see Romans 10:1)
All who have authority (see 1 Timothy 2:2)
Those who persecute us (see Matthew 5:44)
All those who forsake us (see 2 Timothy 4:16)
Pastors (see Philippians 1:19)
All men (see 1 Timothy 2:1)

Some Reasons Why Intercessory Prayer is Powerful

We are fulfilling what we are called to do. James 5:16 says, “So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.”
We are following Jesus’ example – He prayed for others even as they were putting Him to death.
We are seeking the will of God.
We grow spiritually by allowing the concerns and needs of others to take priority.
God hears our prayers and if a request lines up with His will, you can be assured that the request will be fulfilled.
Blessings are received from being obedient in praying for others.
Our perspective and feelings towards another person (someone we consider an enemy, for example) change when we regularly pray for them.
Regarding the power of intercessory prayer, Preacher Charles Spurgeon said: “…it opens man’s soul, gives a healthy play to his sympathies, constrains him to feel that he is not everybody, and that this wide world and this great universe were not after all made that he might be its petty lord, that everything might bend to his will, and all creatures crouch at his feet.”
God takes action when we pray (see Biblical examples below).

Some Intercessory Prayer Examples in the Bible

Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom on account of his nephew Lot, and whole city was spared (see Genesis 18:23-33).
Moses begged God’s mercy for the people of Israel who were sinning, and the Lord relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened (see Exodus 32:9-14 and Numbers 14:11-20).
Daniel pleaded with God for his people (see Daniel 9:13-19).
Job 42:10 says, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”
Peter prayed for the much-loved Tabitha, who had died. Because of Peter’s prayer, she was brought back to life (see Acts 9:36-41).
In the book of Acts, we see the church family praying fervently for Peter, who was in prison. An angel woke Peter up, the chains fell off of his wrists, and he was led right out of the prison (see Acts Chapter 12).

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5
In the book of Ephesians, Paul inspires the believers in Ephesus on the basics of living as a Christian, which includes intercession.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
Paul asked for prayer from all of the believers in Rome.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30
Paul also asked the church family in Colossae to pray for him.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:2-3
Paul prayed for the people he served (see Romans 1:9-10 and 10:1, Ephesians 1:15-19, Philippians 1:3-11, and 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13).

Quotes about Intercessory Prayer

Remember that intercessory prayer is the sweetest prayer God ever hears. Do not question it, for the prayer of Christ is of this character.
Preacher Charles Spurgeon

We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.
Corrie ten Boom

True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. People describe intercession by saying, “It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.” That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.
Oswald Chambers

A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Thank you, and it is my prayer that you have a very blessed day! ❤